Just Got Back From Strictly Performance
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: Earth
I had several calls and decided to take time and post my experience with the owner/sidekick that started this thread.
Background
This car appeared on the recommendation from another customer. However, I doubt that my customer had any knowledge of the maturity level of the owner and the ego of her sidekick.
In all dealings the sidekick did the talking ( the owner giggles alot) and he made the decisions on the mods. He always went with his knowledge gained from his Ford.
What his knowledge brought to the table meant that things like a ported TB were a huge #1 priority - before anything else - and when discussing headers he insisted on “new motor mounts” because that's what the Ford guys do.
My Involvement
My first and only work on her car was to talk the sidekick out of wasting her money on the "must have ported tb".
So, instead of taking her money to port the TB, I eventually convinced the boyfriend to let me do a street tune when I offered a guarantee - "if the street tuning isn't a significant gain, then no charge and I'll port the TB free"
The street tune was an overwhelming success I guess because I didn't have to port the TB for free and they came back twice more for more work.
Second time dealing with them was on a set of gears. Sidekick asks for the pricing and I hooked them up with ABE, one of the best. However, the gear shop owner said that because the car wasn’t done exactly at 5PM, the sidekick boyfriend gave him enough of an attitude the gear shop owner told me “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me”.
Last was the headers and though I wanted to do the work, their “true dual” installation was not going to co-operate easily with cat placement. So, after having the car in the shop for 5 days, the boyfriend gave me the biggest bullshit attitude I’ve heard from a customer in a long time. My response was simple, come get the car. No charge, no work, come get it.
The Plot Thickens
Boyfriend didn't like being told to go away so he threatened me and told me the "law" would be at my doorstep. I was shaking. Girlfriend calls, acts dumb as if she was just calling for an update, and when confronted she immediately goes to ballistic mode. Doesn't matter to me - I tell her as well to come get the car.
Ah, the best for last as the call from the "law" arrives - it's none other than her father - and he introduces himself as
“Inspector xxxx” admonishing me for being rude. Of course I believe he's a cop as much as I believe in UFO’s and after this final silliness I had a complete insight into the maturity level of these two “customers”
Epilogue
To end the story – they showed up within an hour, we buttoned the car back up to the way it was delivered – they signed the work order and took the car.
Good luck to anyone dealing with this duo and be safe – there are such things as “bad customers”.
Final tally - I earned $125 for the street tune and find myself defamed by a couple buffoons. Welcome to the internet, I say.
Background
This car appeared on the recommendation from another customer. However, I doubt that my customer had any knowledge of the maturity level of the owner and the ego of her sidekick.
In all dealings the sidekick did the talking ( the owner giggles alot) and he made the decisions on the mods. He always went with his knowledge gained from his Ford.
What his knowledge brought to the table meant that things like a ported TB were a huge #1 priority - before anything else - and when discussing headers he insisted on “new motor mounts” because that's what the Ford guys do.
My Involvement
My first and only work on her car was to talk the sidekick out of wasting her money on the "must have ported tb".
So, instead of taking her money to port the TB, I eventually convinced the boyfriend to let me do a street tune when I offered a guarantee - "if the street tuning isn't a significant gain, then no charge and I'll port the TB free"
The street tune was an overwhelming success I guess because I didn't have to port the TB for free and they came back twice more for more work.
Second time dealing with them was on a set of gears. Sidekick asks for the pricing and I hooked them up with ABE, one of the best. However, the gear shop owner said that because the car wasn’t done exactly at 5PM, the sidekick boyfriend gave him enough of an attitude the gear shop owner told me “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me”.
Last was the headers and though I wanted to do the work, their “true dual” installation was not going to co-operate easily with cat placement. So, after having the car in the shop for 5 days, the boyfriend gave me the biggest bullshit attitude I’ve heard from a customer in a long time. My response was simple, come get the car. No charge, no work, come get it.
The Plot Thickens
Boyfriend didn't like being told to go away so he threatened me and told me the "law" would be at my doorstep. I was shaking. Girlfriend calls, acts dumb as if she was just calling for an update, and when confronted she immediately goes to ballistic mode. Doesn't matter to me - I tell her as well to come get the car.
Ah, the best for last as the call from the "law" arrives - it's none other than her father - and he introduces himself as
“Inspector xxxx” admonishing me for being rude. Of course I believe he's a cop as much as I believe in UFO’s and after this final silliness I had a complete insight into the maturity level of these two “customers”
Epilogue
To end the story – they showed up within an hour, we buttoned the car back up to the way it was delivered – they signed the work order and took the car.
Good luck to anyone dealing with this duo and be safe – there are such things as “bad customers”.
Final tally - I earned $125 for the street tune and find myself defamed by a couple buffoons. Welcome to the internet, I say.
I had several calls and decided to take time and post my experience with the owner/sidekick that started this thread.
Background
This car appeared on the recommendation from another customer. However, I doubt that my customer had any knowledge of the maturity level of the owner and the ego of her sidekick.
In all dealings the sidekick did the talking ( the owner giggles alot) and he made the decisions on the mods. He always went with his knowledge gained from his Ford.
What his knowledge brought to the table meant that things like a ported TB were a huge #1 priority - before anything else - and when discussing headers he insisted on “new motor mounts” because that's what the Ford guys do.
My Involvement
My first and only work on her car was to talk the sidekick out of wasting her money on the "must have ported tb".
So, instead of taking her money to port the TB, I eventually convinced the boyfriend to let me do a street tune when I offered a guarantee - "if the street tuning isn't a significant gain, then no charge and I'll port the TB free"
The street tune was an overwhelming success I guess because I didn't have to port the TB for free and they came back twice more for more work.
Second time dealing with them was on a set of gears. Sidekick asks for the pricing and I hooked them up with ABE, one of the best. However, the gear shop owner said that because the car wasn’t done exactly at 5PM, the sidekick boyfriend gave him enough of an attitude the gear shop owner told me “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me”.
Last was the headers and though I wanted to do the work, their “true dual” installation was not going to co-operate easily with cat placement. So, after having the car in the shop for 5 days, the boyfriend gave me the biggest bullshit attitude I’ve heard from a customer in a long time. My response was simple, come get the car. No charge, no work, come get it.
The Plot Thickens
Boyfriend didn't like being told to go away so he threatened me and told me the "law" would be at my doorstep. I was shaking. Girlfriend calls, acts dumb as if she was just calling for an update, and when confronted she immediately goes to ballistic mode. Doesn't matter to me - I tell her as well to come get the car.
Ah, the best for last as the call from the "law" arrives - it's none other than her father - and he introduces himself as
“Inspector xxxx” admonishing me for being rude. Of course I believe he's a cop as much as I believe in UFO’s and after this final silliness I had a complete insight into the maturity level of these two “customers”
Epilogue
To end the story – they showed up within an hour, we buttoned the car back up to the way it was delivered – they signed the work order and took the car.
Good luck to anyone dealing with this duo and be safe – there are such things as “bad customers”.
Final tally - I earned $125 for the street tune and find myself defamed by a couple buffoons. Welcome to the internet, I say.
Background
This car appeared on the recommendation from another customer. However, I doubt that my customer had any knowledge of the maturity level of the owner and the ego of her sidekick.
In all dealings the sidekick did the talking ( the owner giggles alot) and he made the decisions on the mods. He always went with his knowledge gained from his Ford.
What his knowledge brought to the table meant that things like a ported TB were a huge #1 priority - before anything else - and when discussing headers he insisted on “new motor mounts” because that's what the Ford guys do.
My Involvement
My first and only work on her car was to talk the sidekick out of wasting her money on the "must have ported tb".
So, instead of taking her money to port the TB, I eventually convinced the boyfriend to let me do a street tune when I offered a guarantee - "if the street tuning isn't a significant gain, then no charge and I'll port the TB free"
The street tune was an overwhelming success I guess because I didn't have to port the TB for free and they came back twice more for more work.
Second time dealing with them was on a set of gears. Sidekick asks for the pricing and I hooked them up with ABE, one of the best. However, the gear shop owner said that because the car wasn’t done exactly at 5PM, the sidekick boyfriend gave him enough of an attitude the gear shop owner told me “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me”.
Last was the headers and though I wanted to do the work, their “true dual” installation was not going to co-operate easily with cat placement. So, after having the car in the shop for 5 days, the boyfriend gave me the biggest bullshit attitude I’ve heard from a customer in a long time. My response was simple, come get the car. No charge, no work, come get it.
The Plot Thickens
Boyfriend didn't like being told to go away so he threatened me and told me the "law" would be at my doorstep. I was shaking. Girlfriend calls, acts dumb as if she was just calling for an update, and when confronted she immediately goes to ballistic mode. Doesn't matter to me - I tell her as well to come get the car.
Ah, the best for last as the call from the "law" arrives - it's none other than her father - and he introduces himself as
“Inspector xxxx” admonishing me for being rude. Of course I believe he's a cop as much as I believe in UFO’s and after this final silliness I had a complete insight into the maturity level of these two “customers”
Epilogue
To end the story – they showed up within an hour, we buttoned the car back up to the way it was delivered – they signed the work order and took the car.
Good luck to anyone dealing with this duo and be safe – there are such things as “bad customers”.
Final tally - I earned $125 for the street tune and find myself defamed by a couple buffoons. Welcome to the internet, I say.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles, CA.
I had several calls and decided to take time and post my experience with the owner/sidekick that started this thread.
Background
This car appeared on the recommendation from another customer. However, I doubt that my customer had any knowledge of the maturity level of the owner and the ego of her sidekick.
In all dealings the sidekick did the talking ( the owner giggles alot) and he made the decisions on the mods. He always went with his knowledge gained from his Ford.
What his knowledge brought to the table meant that things like a ported TB were a huge #1 priority - before anything else - and when discussing headers he insisted on “new motor mounts” because that's what the Ford guys do.
My Involvement
My first and only work on her car was to talk the sidekick out of wasting her money on the "must have ported tb".
So, instead of taking her money to port the TB, I eventually convinced the boyfriend to let me do a street tune when I offered a guarantee - "if the street tuning isn't a significant gain, then no charge and I'll port the TB free"
The street tune was an overwhelming success I guess because I didn't have to port the TB for free and they came back twice more for more work.
Second time dealing with them was on a set of gears. Sidekick asks for the pricing and I hooked them up with ABE, one of the best. However, the gear shop owner said that because the car wasn’t done exactly at 5PM, the sidekick boyfriend gave him enough of an attitude the gear shop owner told me “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me”.
Last was the headers and though I wanted to do the work, their “true dual” installation was not going to co-operate easily with cat placement. So, after having the car in the shop for 5 days, the boyfriend gave me the biggest bullshit attitude I’ve heard from a customer in a long time. My response was simple, come get the car. No charge, no work, come get it.
The Plot Thickens
Boyfriend didn't like being told to go away so he threatened me and told me the "law" would be at my doorstep. I was shaking. Girlfriend calls, acts dumb as if she was just calling for an update, and when confronted she immediately goes to ballistic mode. Doesn't matter to me - I tell her as well to come get the car.
Ah, the best for last as the call from the "law" arrives - it's none other than her father - and he introduces himself as
“Inspector xxxx” admonishing me for being rude. Of course I believe he's a cop as much as I believe in UFO’s and after this final silliness I had a complete insight into the maturity level of these two “customers”
Epilogue
To end the story – they showed up within an hour, we buttoned the car back up to the way it was delivered – they signed the work order and took the car.
Good luck to anyone dealing with this duo and be safe – there are such things as “bad customers”.
Final tally - I earned $125 for the street tune and find myself defamed by a couple buffoons. Welcome to the internet, I say.
Background
This car appeared on the recommendation from another customer. However, I doubt that my customer had any knowledge of the maturity level of the owner and the ego of her sidekick.
In all dealings the sidekick did the talking ( the owner giggles alot) and he made the decisions on the mods. He always went with his knowledge gained from his Ford.
What his knowledge brought to the table meant that things like a ported TB were a huge #1 priority - before anything else - and when discussing headers he insisted on “new motor mounts” because that's what the Ford guys do.
My Involvement
My first and only work on her car was to talk the sidekick out of wasting her money on the "must have ported tb".
So, instead of taking her money to port the TB, I eventually convinced the boyfriend to let me do a street tune when I offered a guarantee - "if the street tuning isn't a significant gain, then no charge and I'll port the TB free"
The street tune was an overwhelming success I guess because I didn't have to port the TB for free and they came back twice more for more work.
Second time dealing with them was on a set of gears. Sidekick asks for the pricing and I hooked them up with ABE, one of the best. However, the gear shop owner said that because the car wasn’t done exactly at 5PM, the sidekick boyfriend gave him enough of an attitude the gear shop owner told me “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me”.
Last was the headers and though I wanted to do the work, their “true dual” installation was not going to co-operate easily with cat placement. So, after having the car in the shop for 5 days, the boyfriend gave me the biggest bullshit attitude I’ve heard from a customer in a long time. My response was simple, come get the car. No charge, no work, come get it.
The Plot Thickens
Boyfriend didn't like being told to go away so he threatened me and told me the "law" would be at my doorstep. I was shaking. Girlfriend calls, acts dumb as if she was just calling for an update, and when confronted she immediately goes to ballistic mode. Doesn't matter to me - I tell her as well to come get the car.
Ah, the best for last as the call from the "law" arrives - it's none other than her father - and he introduces himself as
“Inspector xxxx” admonishing me for being rude. Of course I believe he's a cop as much as I believe in UFO’s and after this final silliness I had a complete insight into the maturity level of these two “customers”
Epilogue
To end the story – they showed up within an hour, we buttoned the car back up to the way it was delivered – they signed the work order and took the car.
Good luck to anyone dealing with this duo and be safe – there are such things as “bad customers”.
Final tally - I earned $125 for the street tune and find myself defamed by a couple buffoons. Welcome to the internet, I say.
Background
I did go to your shop on recommendation from a friend. This friend explained to me that RPM does good work. I then went to this shop for a tune and asked if a throttle body would serve of any purpose for me, and yes it was I who asked not the "ego" maniac boyfriend who did me the favor of driving me to Santa Clarita. Unlike you, Charlie, I will refrain from name calling although you do not deserve that much from me.
As far as dealing with us on the gears... you suggested that I do gears but said that you do not do that work but ABE can. This was the first and last time I ever spoke to you about the gears, the gear shop owner at ABE was a hell of a nice guy. I doubt he is as two-faced and bitter as you are making him out to be. I am amazed that you would claim he took the time to talk to you about me and my boyfriend just to say “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me” especially when my boyfriend wasn't even there till the car was ready. Another pecualiar thing about this is that if the ABE owner was so unpleased with my patronage then why would he ask me to take it back to him whenever I decided on doing the M6 conversion.
My Involvement With RPM
As far as your tune goes... I was happy because I didn't know any better. My car drove exceptionally better with Rob's tune... not simply because they knocked out my LTs and new true dual 3" exhaust in 1.5 days but also because it simply drove better with his tune.
My old 2.25" "true dual" exhaust was ridiculous and it currently is not on there anymore. If at anytime you would have recommended that I change my exhaust out due to "fitment issues," I would have... which is what occured at Strictly. I was quoted 3 days of labor at the point of drop off... it turned into 7 days (one Friday to the next). After the 3 days came and went with no phone calls, I called twice to ask simply if there was something wrong with the Kooks headers or if there were any updates. I was given the same answer the 2 times at which I called, your cats aren't in yet. Again, if at any time I was explained to before the fateful Friday about my crappy exhaust, I would have said to replace it, fix it, or do whatever it is you need to do; but I was not advised of the issue and the inability of finding a cat that would fit the Kooks and the exhaust. This lack of communication is ultimately what led to our falling out.
The Plot Thickens
Since I was about to enter a meeting, I texted my boyfriend to call the shop because I needed to know before getting out whether I had to be in Santa Clarita to finally pick up the car or go home. After the meeting ends I get a call from my boyfriend that Charlie cussed him out and told him to get my "piece of crap car out before he throws it out." I was amazed at this because I never expected this from someone I respected.
I did call you acting "dumb" because I wanted to know your part of this story and find out what really happened. Instead, before I even finished saying "Hi Charlie, this is.." I get cussed at and told that I need to get my "piece of crap car out immediately because it's not workable." I responded to this by saying that you had no right to talk to me like this and I have done nothing wrong to you but asked when the car will be ready. He calls me and my boyfriend ****** then begins to ramble on about how shitty my Trans Am is then says "I am having a bad day and don't want to deal with your car and your attitude." I said funny how I have the attitude when I haven't even really had a chance to talk...followed by him hanging up on me.
I started freaking out that he might tamper or do something to my car... I was not wrong about this either since Strictly found a burnt #3 intake valve. Strange how this car was always babied at the dealer and was still under warranty- it never had problems till after it left RPM. Due to my fear of tampering, I called up my father to set you straight because we had no idea of your intentions with my car at this point.
As far as you believing that my father is "Inspector XXX" as much as you believe UFOs exist... then you must have been abducted at some point because he has been an investigator for over 25years- I can have him read this post if you would like, I'm sure he would like to speak to you again. I believe it was his phone call in which you were informed that a lawsuit would ensue if you were to cause any harm to my car... not the conversation with my boyfriend. It was after your conversation with my father that we arrived at your shop and my car was miraculously almost back together; at which time you apologized for your behaviour then blamed my boyfriend for your inability to complete the service requested which was nothing more than installing headers.
I was civilized with you even after my car failed to start while pulling out in reverse from your shop... you asked your mechanic "why won't it go?" I would assume that someone with your exeperience would not have to ask this in front of the car's owner. Hearing you ask this question made me even more worried for my safety on the drive to Strictly.
Epilogue
I respected this shop and never wanted anything more than headers installed. I have heard of nightmare experiences at car shops but I did not think that this would ever happen to me, especially not at RPM. Since I am such a nightmare of a customer.... this would explain why the guys at Strictly have become more than just the guys that have made great leaps in the performance of my car, they have become my friends. You may post whatever you want about me Charlie, but you and I both know the truth. Ryne@CMS can't save you from what happened, and neither can your Corvette followers that posted earlier on this thread. What you have posted here is frankly even more disappointing than the memory I had of you.
You said that through all this fiasco with me your money earned was $125 for the street tune... that's a shame. Look at my sig... your potential money earned is listed there. Thanks for your act of hostility and lack of respect... it lead me to Strictly Performance.
there needs to be a performance shop reality show...i think it will do well, especially on the SPEED channel... almost run like 'DEADLIEST CATCH' or 'ICE TRUCKERS'...have u guys seen that those shows? FN awesome
almost run like 'DEADLIEST CATCH' or 'ICE TRUCKERS'...have u guys seen that those shows? FN awesome I was going to post a separate thread about this because people do deserve to know the truth about the experiences of others.. whether it be good or bad.... but since you have decided to chime in on this, I have no choice but respond back to your inaccurate account of the event.
Background
I did go to your shop on recommendation from a friend. This friend explained to me that RPM does good work. I then went to this shop for a tune and asked if a throttle body would serve of any purpose for me, and yes it was I who asked not the "ego" maniac boyfriend who did me the favor of driving me to Santa Clarita. Unlike you, Charlie, I will refrain from name calling although you do not deserve that much from me.
As far as dealing with us on the gears... you suggested that I do gears but said that you do not do that work but ABE can. This was the first and last time I ever spoke to you about the gears, the gear shop owner at ABE was a hell of a nice guy. I doubt he is as two-faced and bitter as you are making him out to be. I am amazed that you would claim he took the time to talk to you about me and my boyfriend just to say “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me” especially when my boyfriend wasn't even there till the car was ready. Another pecualiar thing about this is that if the ABE owner was so unpleased with my patronage then why would he ask me to take it back to him whenever I decided on doing the M6 conversion.
My Involvement With RPM
As far as your tune goes... I was happy because I didn't know any better. My car drove exceptionally better with Rob's tune... not simply because they knocked out my LTs and new true dual 3" exhaust in 1.5 days but also because it simply drove better with his tune.
My old 2.25" "true dual" exhaust was ridiculous and it currently is not on there anymore. If at anytime you would have recommended that I change my exhaust out due to "fitment issues," I would have... which is what occured at Strictly. I was quoted 3 days of labor at the point of drop off... it turned into 7 days (one Friday to the next). After the 3 days came and went with no phone calls, I called twice to ask simply if there was something wrong with the Kooks headers or if there were any updates. I was given the same answer the 2 times at which I called, your cats aren't in yet. Again, if at any time I was explained to before the fateful Friday about my crappy exhaust, I would have said to replace it, fix it, or do whatever it is you need to do; but I was not advised of the issue and the inability of finding a cat that would fit the Kooks and the exhaust. This lack of communication is ultimately what led to our falling out.
The Plot Thickens
Since I was about to enter a meeting, I texted my boyfriend to call the shop because I needed to know before getting out whether I had to be in Santa Clarita to finally pick up the car or go home. After the meeting ends I get a call from my boyfriend that Charlie cussed him out and told him to get my "piece of crap car out before he throws it out." I was amazed at this because I never expected this from someone I respected.
I did call you acting "dumb" because I wanted to know your part of this story and find out what really happened. Instead, before I even finished saying "Hi Charlie, this is.." I get cussed at and told that I need to get my "piece of crap car out immediately because it's not workable." I responded to this by saying that you had no right to talk to me like this and I have done nothing wrong to you but asked when the car will be ready. He calls me and my boyfriend ****** then begins to ramble on about how shitty my Trans Am is then says "I am having a bad day and don't want to deal with your car and your attitude." I said funny how I have the attitude when I haven't even really had a chance to talk...followed by him hanging up on me.
I started freaking out that he might tamper or do something to my car... I was not wrong about this either since Strictly found a burnt #3 intake valve. Strange how this car was always babied at the dealer and was still under warranty- it never had problems till after it left RPM. Due to my fear of tampering, I called up my father to set you straight because we had no idea of your intentions with my car at this point.
As far as you believing that my father is "Inspector XXX" as much as you believe UFOs exist... then you must have been abducted at some point because he has been an investigator for over 25years- I can have him read this post if you would like, I'm sure he would like to speak to you again. I believe it was his phone call in which you were informed that a lawsuit would ensue if you were to cause any harm to my car... not the conversation with my boyfriend. It was after your conversation with my father that we arrived at your shop and my car was miraculously almost back together; at which time you apologized for your behaviour then blamed my boyfriend for your inability to complete the service requested which was nothing more than installing headers.
I was civilized with you even after my car failed to start while pulling out in reverse from your shop... you asked your mechanic "why won't it go?" I would assume that someone with your exeperience would not have to ask this in front of the car's owner. Hearing you ask this question made me even more worried for my safety on the drive to Strictly.
Epilogue
I respected this shop and never wanted anything more than headers installed. I have heard of nightmare experiences at car shops but I did not think that this would ever happen to me, especially not at RPM. Since I am such a nightmare of a customer.... this would explain why the guys at Strictly have become more than just the guys that have made great leaps in the performance of my car, they have become my friends. You may post whatever you want about me Charlie, but you and I both know the truth. Ryne@CMS can't save you from what happened, and neither can your Corvette followers that posted earlier on this thread. What you have posted here is frankly even more disappointing than the memory I had of you.
You said that through all this fiasco with me your money earned was $125 for the street tune... that's a shame. Look at my sig... your potential money earned is listed there. Thanks for your act of hostility and lack of respect... it lead me to Strictly Performance.
Background
I did go to your shop on recommendation from a friend. This friend explained to me that RPM does good work. I then went to this shop for a tune and asked if a throttle body would serve of any purpose for me, and yes it was I who asked not the "ego" maniac boyfriend who did me the favor of driving me to Santa Clarita. Unlike you, Charlie, I will refrain from name calling although you do not deserve that much from me.
As far as dealing with us on the gears... you suggested that I do gears but said that you do not do that work but ABE can. This was the first and last time I ever spoke to you about the gears, the gear shop owner at ABE was a hell of a nice guy. I doubt he is as two-faced and bitter as you are making him out to be. I am amazed that you would claim he took the time to talk to you about me and my boyfriend just to say “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me” especially when my boyfriend wasn't even there till the car was ready. Another pecualiar thing about this is that if the ABE owner was so unpleased with my patronage then why would he ask me to take it back to him whenever I decided on doing the M6 conversion.
My Involvement With RPM
As far as your tune goes... I was happy because I didn't know any better. My car drove exceptionally better with Rob's tune... not simply because they knocked out my LTs and new true dual 3" exhaust in 1.5 days but also because it simply drove better with his tune.
My old 2.25" "true dual" exhaust was ridiculous and it currently is not on there anymore. If at anytime you would have recommended that I change my exhaust out due to "fitment issues," I would have... which is what occured at Strictly. I was quoted 3 days of labor at the point of drop off... it turned into 7 days (one Friday to the next). After the 3 days came and went with no phone calls, I called twice to ask simply if there was something wrong with the Kooks headers or if there were any updates. I was given the same answer the 2 times at which I called, your cats aren't in yet. Again, if at any time I was explained to before the fateful Friday about my crappy exhaust, I would have said to replace it, fix it, or do whatever it is you need to do; but I was not advised of the issue and the inability of finding a cat that would fit the Kooks and the exhaust. This lack of communication is ultimately what led to our falling out.
The Plot Thickens
Since I was about to enter a meeting, I texted my boyfriend to call the shop because I needed to know before getting out whether I had to be in Santa Clarita to finally pick up the car or go home. After the meeting ends I get a call from my boyfriend that Charlie cussed him out and told him to get my "piece of crap car out before he throws it out." I was amazed at this because I never expected this from someone I respected.
I did call you acting "dumb" because I wanted to know your part of this story and find out what really happened. Instead, before I even finished saying "Hi Charlie, this is.." I get cussed at and told that I need to get my "piece of crap car out immediately because it's not workable." I responded to this by saying that you had no right to talk to me like this and I have done nothing wrong to you but asked when the car will be ready. He calls me and my boyfriend ****** then begins to ramble on about how shitty my Trans Am is then says "I am having a bad day and don't want to deal with your car and your attitude." I said funny how I have the attitude when I haven't even really had a chance to talk...followed by him hanging up on me.
I started freaking out that he might tamper or do something to my car... I was not wrong about this either since Strictly found a burnt #3 intake valve. Strange how this car was always babied at the dealer and was still under warranty- it never had problems till after it left RPM. Due to my fear of tampering, I called up my father to set you straight because we had no idea of your intentions with my car at this point.
As far as you believing that my father is "Inspector XXX" as much as you believe UFOs exist... then you must have been abducted at some point because he has been an investigator for over 25years- I can have him read this post if you would like, I'm sure he would like to speak to you again. I believe it was his phone call in which you were informed that a lawsuit would ensue if you were to cause any harm to my car... not the conversation with my boyfriend. It was after your conversation with my father that we arrived at your shop and my car was miraculously almost back together; at which time you apologized for your behaviour then blamed my boyfriend for your inability to complete the service requested which was nothing more than installing headers.
I was civilized with you even after my car failed to start while pulling out in reverse from your shop... you asked your mechanic "why won't it go?" I would assume that someone with your exeperience would not have to ask this in front of the car's owner. Hearing you ask this question made me even more worried for my safety on the drive to Strictly.
Epilogue
I respected this shop and never wanted anything more than headers installed. I have heard of nightmare experiences at car shops but I did not think that this would ever happen to me, especially not at RPM. Since I am such a nightmare of a customer.... this would explain why the guys at Strictly have become more than just the guys that have made great leaps in the performance of my car, they have become my friends. You may post whatever you want about me Charlie, but you and I both know the truth. Ryne@CMS can't save you from what happened, and neither can your Corvette followers that posted earlier on this thread. What you have posted here is frankly even more disappointing than the memory I had of you.
You said that through all this fiasco with me your money earned was $125 for the street tune... that's a shame. Look at my sig... your potential money earned is listed there. Thanks for your act of hostility and lack of respect... it lead me to Strictly Performance.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles, CA.
I agree! I mean that's what this is site is for people. We post about good and bad experiences... no lying, no sugar coating, just unbiased truth, so that others can make informed decisions before going. Deadliest Catch is an awesome show btw.
As many of you may know, charlie and i work closely together on a few deals, and i have known charlie for nearly 5 years. and i would know that charlie would never let a car leave like that........... but i do remember him telling me about a yellow convert TA that he was putting headers on, and apparently the owner of the car is some douchebag guy, that when he got on the phone with charlie, charlie told him aftr much arguing, to come and pick up your car........ with the headers not done. charlie just informed me that he did not even fully tune the car.... he just road tuned it and got the shift tables and fuel trims in line after the gear swap that he preformed for you. i think maybe you should tell the whole story, before making accusations like this. you werent saving your car. ( or your girls car lol) , charlie actually kicked your *** out of his shop.
i see it as very unprofessional for fellow site sponsors to bash a customer based on their unbiased experiences with a shop....the point of this forum is to inform other members of both good and bad dealings with a shop/s...to accuse someone of lying about their personal experience, and to go as far as calling them names is downright childish.
Great idea and I love those shows too. What would be the name of the new show.... "Diaries of the Modified"?
as far as charlie is concerned .i have heard nothing but good things ,the only thing that was relayed to me as far as he goes is that he lost his temper, and could not finnish the job in a timely manner that she was comfortable with.the car was towed to my shop with exhaust leaks from a quick fix on the exhaust .prob to get the car out as the customer was pulling the job .the car had serious drivability issues and was not driveable.severe knock and running way rich.
i see it as very unprofessional for fellow site sponsors to bash a customer based on their unbiased experiences with a shop....the point of this forum is to inform other members of both good and bad dealings with a shop/s...to accuse someone of lying about their personal experience, and to go as far as calling them names is downright childish.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: Earth
I have no choice but respond back to your inaccurate account of the event.
Nothing was inaccurate in my account. The only error was in dealing with you in the first place.
I did go to your shop on recommendation from a friend. This friend explained to me that RPM does good work. I then went to this shop for a tune and asked if a throttle body would serve of any purpose for me, and yes it was I who asked not the "ego" maniac boyfriend who did me the favor of driving me to Santa Clarita.
Sorry, you showed up wanting a throttle body. The street tune was initiated by me and done as stated.
As far as dealing with us on the gears... you suggested that I do gears but said that you do not do that work but ABE can. This was the first and last time I ever spoke to you about the gears, the gear shop owner at ABE was a hell of a nice guy. I doubt he is as two-faced and bitter as you are making him out to be. I am amazed that you would claim he took the time to talk to you about me and my boyfriend just to say “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me” especially when my boyfriend wasn't even there till the car was ready. Another pecualiar thing about this is that if the ABE owner was so unpleased with my patronage then why would he ask me to take it back to him whenever I decided on doing the M6 conversion.
Things are the way they are and I can’t/won’t make up stories. Ask ABE yourself about the attitude your sidekick displayed.
As far as your tune goes... I was happy because I didn't know any better. My car drove exceptionally better with Rob's tune... not simply because they knocked out my LTs and new true dual 3" exhaust in 1.5 days but also because it simply drove better with his tune.
You can’t compare a tuned engine with headers to one without…. Your agenda is showing again.
My old 2.25" "true dual" exhaust was ridiculous and it currently is not on there anymore. If at anytime you would have recommended that I change my exhaust out due to "fitment issues," I would have... which is what occured at Strictly.
You were told about the issues and and shown as well. It was you that asked to investigate the noises and the result of that investigation was shown to you when you dropped off the sway bars.
Your response was that “I will take it up with the guys who installed it” and as I recall, you either had no budget for any further work or no desire at the time to replace it.
I was quoted 3 days of labor at the point of drop off... it turned into 7 days (one Friday to the next). After the 3 days came and went with no phone calls, I called twice to ask simply if there was something wrong with the Kooks headers or if there were any updates. I was given the same answer the 2 times at which I called, your cats aren't in yet.
You dropped the car off on Saturday. I clearly told you that your car would be ready by the following Friday if, and only if, the cats were not an issue and if they could be had in time.
Again, if at any time I was explained to before the fateful Friday about my crappy exhaust, I would have said to replace it, fix it, or do whatever it is you need to do; but I was not advised of the issue and the inability of finding a cat that would fit the Kooks and the exhaust. This lack of communication is ultimately what led to our falling out.
You need to speak to your boyo about any lack of cat communication because he certainly knew the story. Frankly, though, so did you and to speak now as if it was a big surprise is disingenuous..
Since I was about to enter a meeting, I texted my boyfriend to call the shop because I needed to know before getting out whether I had to be in Santa Clarita. After the meeting ends I get a call from my boyfriend that Charlie cussed him out and told him to get my "piece of crap car out before he throws it out."
RIGHT, I just decided, for the heck of it, to tell your boyfriend to come get your car because (A) I felt like cussing him out and (B) removing parts that were already installed and losing money is fun
I did call you acting "dumb" because I wanted to know your part of this story and find out what really happened. Instead, before I even finished saying "Hi Charlie, this is.." I get cussed at and told that I need to get my "piece of crap car out immediately because it's not workable." I responded to this by saying that you had no right to talk to me like this and I have done nothing wrong to you but asked when the car will be ready.
No, after insulting me with your antics and faced to deal with the truth you went to the four letter tirade all on your own. Frankly, I was shocked at how much attitude you had hidden so thinly under your skin. Sorta scary.
He calls me and my boyfriend ****** then begins to ramble on about how shitty my Trans Am is then says "I am having a bad day and don't want to deal with your car and your attitude." I said funny how I have the attitude when I haven't even really had a chance to talk...followed by him hanging up on me.
The only part of this statement that may be true is the calling your boyfriend a name part. I certainly didn’t slam you or your car.
I started freaking out that he might tamper or do something to my car... I was not wrong about this either since Strictly found a burnt #3 intake valve. Strange how this car was always babied at the dealer and was still under warranty- it never had problems till after it left RPM.
No, I didn’t tamper with your car in any way cause a defect. And, continuing to state this will bring you and anyone involved to full measure of the system. I simply won’t stand to be defamed and will pursue this to all ends.
Due to my fear of tampering, I called up my father to set you straight because we had no idea of your intentions with my car at this point.
As far as you believing that my father is "Inspector XXX" as much as you believe UFOs exist... then you must have been abducted at some point because he has been an investigator for over 25years- I can have him read this post if you would like, I'm sure he would like to speak to you again.
Yes, by all means have anyone in Law Enforcement call me to tell me how they are going to harass or otherwise make my life miserable for not working on your car or for not taking an intolerable amount of bullshit from your boyfriend.
When they start speaking have them clearly identify themselves, badge number and reason for using their “color of authority” to admonish or threaten me.
I want to make it nice and easy for them to discuss their position with internal affairs.
I believe it was his phone call in which you were informed that a lawsuit would ensue if you were to cause any harm to my car... not the conversation with my boyfriend.
The conversation was clear and to the point and there were only two parts of the discussion – (1) your boyfriend is twit and you would be better off without him and (2) your car wasn’t being moved out of my shop until it was complete and that meant you signing the work order.
It was after your conversation with my father that we arrived at your shop and my car was miraculously almost back together; at which time you apologized for your behaviour then blamed my boyfriend for your inability to complete the service requested which was nothing more than installing headers.
I apologized for the situation regarding you and the car, as I truly wished it could have been completed.
I did not and will not apologize for my actions. I was forced into the decision not to work on your car and it was the right move.
I was civilized with you even after my car failed to start while pulling out in reverse from your shop... you asked your mechanic "why won't it go?" I would assume that someone with your exeperience would not have to ask this in front of the car's owner. Hearing you ask this question made me even more worried for my safety on the drive to Strictly.
It did stall and I asked the tech to ensure that both O2’s were reconnected.
I didn’t work on your car and my experience dictates that I ask, not assume. He assured me that they were connected and I wished you well.
I respected this shop and never wanted anything more than headers installed. I have heard of nightmare experiences at car shops but I did not think that this would ever happen to me, especially not at RPM. Since I am such a nightmare of a customer.... this would explain why the guys at Strictly have become more than just the guys that have made great leaps in the performance of my car, they have become my friends.
That’s wonderful and I hope that your boyfriend doesn’t impact that situation like he did at my shop.
You may post whatever you want about me Charlie, but you and I both know the truth.
I do completely know the truth and unfortunately, you don't.
Ryne@CMS can't save you from what happened, and neither can your Corvette followers that posted earlier on this thread.
I don’t need to people to save me I only need people to report the facts. You don’t like the way it went at RPM and others do.
What you have posted here is frankly even more disappointing than the memory I had of you.
That’s a two way street, Annette.
You said that through all this fiasco with me your money earned was $125 for the street tune... that's a shame. Look at my sig... your potential money earned is listed there.
I don’t measure people by their potential revenue. I measure them by the character or lack thereof.
Thanks for your act of hostility and lack of respect... it lead me to Strictly Performance.
Glad you are happy but it wasn’t me that began hostilities…I only reacted to your sidekick and messenger.
Nothing was inaccurate in my account. The only error was in dealing with you in the first place.
I did go to your shop on recommendation from a friend. This friend explained to me that RPM does good work. I then went to this shop for a tune and asked if a throttle body would serve of any purpose for me, and yes it was I who asked not the "ego" maniac boyfriend who did me the favor of driving me to Santa Clarita.
Sorry, you showed up wanting a throttle body. The street tune was initiated by me and done as stated.
As far as dealing with us on the gears... you suggested that I do gears but said that you do not do that work but ABE can. This was the first and last time I ever spoke to you about the gears, the gear shop owner at ABE was a hell of a nice guy. I doubt he is as two-faced and bitter as you are making him out to be. I am amazed that you would claim he took the time to talk to you about me and my boyfriend just to say “please, don’t refer anymore customers like them to me” especially when my boyfriend wasn't even there till the car was ready. Another pecualiar thing about this is that if the ABE owner was so unpleased with my patronage then why would he ask me to take it back to him whenever I decided on doing the M6 conversion.
Things are the way they are and I can’t/won’t make up stories. Ask ABE yourself about the attitude your sidekick displayed.
As far as your tune goes... I was happy because I didn't know any better. My car drove exceptionally better with Rob's tune... not simply because they knocked out my LTs and new true dual 3" exhaust in 1.5 days but also because it simply drove better with his tune.
You can’t compare a tuned engine with headers to one without…. Your agenda is showing again.
My old 2.25" "true dual" exhaust was ridiculous and it currently is not on there anymore. If at anytime you would have recommended that I change my exhaust out due to "fitment issues," I would have... which is what occured at Strictly.
You were told about the issues and and shown as well. It was you that asked to investigate the noises and the result of that investigation was shown to you when you dropped off the sway bars.
Your response was that “I will take it up with the guys who installed it” and as I recall, you either had no budget for any further work or no desire at the time to replace it.
I was quoted 3 days of labor at the point of drop off... it turned into 7 days (one Friday to the next). After the 3 days came and went with no phone calls, I called twice to ask simply if there was something wrong with the Kooks headers or if there were any updates. I was given the same answer the 2 times at which I called, your cats aren't in yet.
You dropped the car off on Saturday. I clearly told you that your car would be ready by the following Friday if, and only if, the cats were not an issue and if they could be had in time.
Again, if at any time I was explained to before the fateful Friday about my crappy exhaust, I would have said to replace it, fix it, or do whatever it is you need to do; but I was not advised of the issue and the inability of finding a cat that would fit the Kooks and the exhaust. This lack of communication is ultimately what led to our falling out.
You need to speak to your boyo about any lack of cat communication because he certainly knew the story. Frankly, though, so did you and to speak now as if it was a big surprise is disingenuous..
Since I was about to enter a meeting, I texted my boyfriend to call the shop because I needed to know before getting out whether I had to be in Santa Clarita. After the meeting ends I get a call from my boyfriend that Charlie cussed him out and told him to get my "piece of crap car out before he throws it out."
RIGHT, I just decided, for the heck of it, to tell your boyfriend to come get your car because (A) I felt like cussing him out and (B) removing parts that were already installed and losing money is fun
I did call you acting "dumb" because I wanted to know your part of this story and find out what really happened. Instead, before I even finished saying "Hi Charlie, this is.." I get cussed at and told that I need to get my "piece of crap car out immediately because it's not workable." I responded to this by saying that you had no right to talk to me like this and I have done nothing wrong to you but asked when the car will be ready.
No, after insulting me with your antics and faced to deal with the truth you went to the four letter tirade all on your own. Frankly, I was shocked at how much attitude you had hidden so thinly under your skin. Sorta scary.
He calls me and my boyfriend ****** then begins to ramble on about how shitty my Trans Am is then says "I am having a bad day and don't want to deal with your car and your attitude." I said funny how I have the attitude when I haven't even really had a chance to talk...followed by him hanging up on me.
The only part of this statement that may be true is the calling your boyfriend a name part. I certainly didn’t slam you or your car.
I started freaking out that he might tamper or do something to my car... I was not wrong about this either since Strictly found a burnt #3 intake valve. Strange how this car was always babied at the dealer and was still under warranty- it never had problems till after it left RPM.
No, I didn’t tamper with your car in any way cause a defect. And, continuing to state this will bring you and anyone involved to full measure of the system. I simply won’t stand to be defamed and will pursue this to all ends.
Due to my fear of tampering, I called up my father to set you straight because we had no idea of your intentions with my car at this point.
As far as you believing that my father is "Inspector XXX" as much as you believe UFOs exist... then you must have been abducted at some point because he has been an investigator for over 25years- I can have him read this post if you would like, I'm sure he would like to speak to you again.
Yes, by all means have anyone in Law Enforcement call me to tell me how they are going to harass or otherwise make my life miserable for not working on your car or for not taking an intolerable amount of bullshit from your boyfriend.
When they start speaking have them clearly identify themselves, badge number and reason for using their “color of authority” to admonish or threaten me.
I want to make it nice and easy for them to discuss their position with internal affairs.
I believe it was his phone call in which you were informed that a lawsuit would ensue if you were to cause any harm to my car... not the conversation with my boyfriend.
The conversation was clear and to the point and there were only two parts of the discussion – (1) your boyfriend is twit and you would be better off without him and (2) your car wasn’t being moved out of my shop until it was complete and that meant you signing the work order.
It was after your conversation with my father that we arrived at your shop and my car was miraculously almost back together; at which time you apologized for your behaviour then blamed my boyfriend for your inability to complete the service requested which was nothing more than installing headers.
I apologized for the situation regarding you and the car, as I truly wished it could have been completed.
I did not and will not apologize for my actions. I was forced into the decision not to work on your car and it was the right move.
I was civilized with you even after my car failed to start while pulling out in reverse from your shop... you asked your mechanic "why won't it go?" I would assume that someone with your exeperience would not have to ask this in front of the car's owner. Hearing you ask this question made me even more worried for my safety on the drive to Strictly.
It did stall and I asked the tech to ensure that both O2’s were reconnected.
I didn’t work on your car and my experience dictates that I ask, not assume. He assured me that they were connected and I wished you well.
I respected this shop and never wanted anything more than headers installed. I have heard of nightmare experiences at car shops but I did not think that this would ever happen to me, especially not at RPM. Since I am such a nightmare of a customer.... this would explain why the guys at Strictly have become more than just the guys that have made great leaps in the performance of my car, they have become my friends.
That’s wonderful and I hope that your boyfriend doesn’t impact that situation like he did at my shop.
You may post whatever you want about me Charlie, but you and I both know the truth.
I do completely know the truth and unfortunately, you don't.
Ryne@CMS can't save you from what happened, and neither can your Corvette followers that posted earlier on this thread.
I don’t need to people to save me I only need people to report the facts. You don’t like the way it went at RPM and others do.
What you have posted here is frankly even more disappointing than the memory I had of you.
That’s a two way street, Annette.
You said that through all this fiasco with me your money earned was $125 for the street tune... that's a shame. Look at my sig... your potential money earned is listed there.
I don’t measure people by their potential revenue. I measure them by the character or lack thereof.
Thanks for your act of hostility and lack of respect... it lead me to Strictly Performance.
Glad you are happy but it wasn’t me that began hostilities…I only reacted to your sidekick and messenger.
After watching drama between several different people and shops (not just this thread), I have come to one conclusion. You need to call and talk to people. I have had two VERY bad experiences with shops (one I posted about and is a stickey) and I tried over and over to talk to them. I know I tend to have a hot temper, so I took the time to cool off, then talked to them. Really, you should not post about this stuff till you have had a lot of phone or face to face time with the shop. Sometimes it is a mis understanding, and can be fixed, after everyone has cooled off. Sometimes it is because the shop is jacked up, and sometimes it is because the customer is jacked up. Just keep in mind that you are messing with people's ability to make a living, so make sure you think long and hard about it before you post about it. I could be wrong, but I don't think I have seen a shop owner jump in here and start a thread "Customer XXX, just left my shop, and damn is he stupid."
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: Earth
as far as charlie is concerned .i have heard nothing but good things ,the only thing that was relayed to me as far as he goes is that he lost his temper, and could not finnish the job in a timely manner that she was comfortable with.the car was towed to my shop with exhaust leaks from a quick fix on the exhaust .prob to get the car out as the customer was pulling the job .the car had serious drivability issues and was not driveable.severe knock and running way rich.
The car left with the exhaust welded in one spot, 100% around the seam, directly in front of the driver's side head pipe.
Any undrivable conditions were not induced or a result of the work we did and without doubt were a result of a bad O2 or other meter malfunction.
That car simply did not have any amount of tweaking beyond that of which an intake/cat-back car can have. Further, the street tune in that car had the A/F ~ 12.4:1 (measured with with a WB) and total timing in the high teens, low 20's. Running pig rich and knocking on that tune is not possible without a malfunctioning meter.
To be clear - I am not wishing to be argumentative but before this gets out of hand at this level, I'm stating the facts.
I never lost my temper I simply wouldn't listen to the BS any further.
The car left with the exhaust welded in one spot, 100% around the seam, directly in front of the driver's side head pipe.
Any undrivable conditions were not induced or a result of the work we did and without doubt were a result of a bad O2 or other meter malfunction.
That car simply did not have any amount of tweaking beyond that of which an intake/cat-back car can have. Further, the street tune in that car had the A/F ~ 12.4:1 (measured with with a WB) and total timing in the high teens, low 20's. Running pig rich and knocking on that tune is not possible without a malfunctioning meter.
To be clear - I am not wishing to be argumentative but before this gets out of hand at this level, I'm stating the facts.
The car left with the exhaust welded in one spot, 100% around the seam, directly in front of the driver's side head pipe.
Any undrivable conditions were not induced or a result of the work we did and without doubt were a result of a bad O2 or other meter malfunction.
That car simply did not have any amount of tweaking beyond that of which an intake/cat-back car can have. Further, the street tune in that car had the A/F ~ 12.4:1 (measured with with a WB) and total timing in the high teens, low 20's. Running pig rich and knocking on that tune is not possible without a malfunctioning meter.
To be clear - I am not wishing to be argumentative but before this gets out of hand at this level, I'm stating the facts.
charlie as i stated in my post very minor issues du to obvious conditions ,you might want to check with whoever did the welding but it was only tacked on ,it makes no difference to me, it was coming off anyway.but it was the cause of the irratic afr and the knocking.
i see it as very unprofessional for fellow site sponsors to bash a customer based on their unbiased experiences with a shop....the point of this forum is to inform other members of both good and bad dealings with a shop/s...to accuse someone of lying about their personal experience, and to go as far as calling them names is downright childish.